Laugh and learn with unique Stand Up Science comedy show at Stage West in Scranton on Feb. 20

Award-winning stand-up comedian and science podcast host Shane Mauss will present Stand Up Science, a one-of-a-kind show with local professors, scientists, and comedians that is equal parts “ahas” and “hahas,” at Stage West in Scranton on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

As the host, Mauss will kick the evening off with some of his best material on brainy topics before introducing special guest speakers and performers. Guests have ranged from Ivy League professors presenting groundbreaking academic research to stand-up comedians delivering their most cerebral material.

At the end of the night, he brings all the guests back onstage and opens the floor for a Q&A and interactive discussion with the audience. Stand Up Science blow minds and bust guts, but don’t worry – there is a doctorate in the house.

Doors at Stage West (301 N. Main Ave., Scranton) open at 5 p.m. with a full dinner menu available, and the all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets, which are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the show, are on sale now and can be purchased online via Prekindle.

Stand-up comedy and science have a lot in common. They both reveal truth, change our perceptions, and challenge the status quo. So why are they so underappreciated? Admittedly, comedy sometimes underestimates the intelligence of their audience, catering to the lowest common denominator. And science has the stigma of being overly complicated, unrelatable, or boring. Until now.

Funnier and more provocative than TED Talks while smarter than traditional stand-up comedy, Stand Up Science combines the best of both worlds. This thought-provoking night of laughs will leave listeners a little smarter, a little happier, and send people home with plenty of fuel for their own conversations.

The Badger Herald calls Stand Up Science “a refreshing fusion of science and stand up comedy that makes both more publicly accessible. Packaged in nice, bite-sized pieces, the show is both engaging and interactive.”

“Mauss has clearly found a popular niche in his natural fascination with the human mind. However, attendees should be forewarned: The show is still going to kill you with laughter,” the Austin Chronicle said.

The special guests for the Stage West show will be Professor Barry Kuhle, Professor P. Douglas Sellers, and comic Myq Kaplan.

Barry Kuhle is an associate professor of psychology at The University of Scranton. His research explores the evolved psychological mechanisms that underlie jealousy and other aspects of romantic relationships.

P. Douglas Sellers II is an assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Scranton who studies memory and attention from an evolutionary perspective. He is interested in how basic cognitive systems were tuned by natural selection to aid in survival and reproduction.

Comedian Myq Kaplan has performed on “The Tonight Show,” “Conan,” the “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” in his own half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” special, and a one-hour special on Netflix and Amazon, “Small, Dork, and Handsome.” He was also a finalist on “Last Comic Standing” and appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

Shane Mauss leads two lives. In one life, he tours full-time as a veteran stand-up comedian. He has brought his unique blend of absurdist humor, thoughtful insights, and storytelling to cities all over the world, as well as TV spots on “Conan,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Comedy Central, Showtime, BBC, Epix, and more.

In his other life, as the host of the popular podcast “Here We Are,” he’s interviewed over 200 of the world’s leading academic experts about our most fascinating traits and behaviors while finding the funny in the innermost workings of life. Each week, he illuminates a new area of research for the show’s 50,000 loyal listeners, earning a five-star rating on iTunes.

Mauss’ unique background, comedy, and personal philosophies have also made him a popular guest on other top podcasts like Pete Holmes’ “You Made It Weird,” Marc Maron’s “WTF,” “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Duncan Trussell’s “Family Hour,” “Bertcast,” and more.

His previous live comedy show, “A Good Trip,” earned him a large following and high praise for its balance of comedy and insight into the world of psychedelics. In his new documentary called “Psychonautics,” Mauss goes on a series of adventures to deepen his understanding of psychedelics. He describes the indescribable and takes viewers through some of his most intense experiences while getting the added perspectives of some of the top scientists and experts in this realm. With moments of both confusion and clarity, this movie is an honest account of the experiences of a genuine Psychonaut. “Psychonautics: A Comic’s Exploration of Psychedelics” will be released on DVD and Blu-ray March 5.

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